


déjà vu

by attackoftheangryeyebrows



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: M/M, One Night Stands, Philadelphia, Pre-Canon, Romance, Sexual Content, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-12
Updated: 2011-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-19 07:24:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/198375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attackoftheangryeyebrows/pseuds/attackoftheangryeyebrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eames takes a kid from a nightclub in Philadelphia back to his hotel room for a one night stand and ends up working with him years later. An origin story about how Eames and Arthur met as strangers and how they both ended up working their first job together with Cobb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this story comes from a song by 3OH!3.

_Years later, when Eames thinks back on the first time he saw Arthur, he remembers how well the point man wore the punk Goth look. Arthur has always had the ability to make any outfit look good, from suits to dark eye shadow..._

 

The club isn't really his style. He just sort of wanders into it, bored out of his mind one night in Philadelphia. Eames is on a job, using his forging abilities for corporate espionage. The pay isn't bad, but he still isn't able to buy the shit he wants to.

Eames skims through the crowd, taking advantage of his position at the top of the stairs that go down into the dance floor. Although how anyone can dance to this rubbish is beyond him, honestly.

And then there _he_ is, standing at the bar. Some little Goth girl is busy trying to talk his ear off, and the boy's expression is one of perfect boredom. He's holding a simple glass of whiskey on the rocks, which Eames can appreciate. He was expecting to find all of the club's patrons partaking in some blood-inspired drink.

Without thinking, he goes to the bar, making sure to skirt the writhing crowd. Eames presses himself against the boy's side and casually throws an arm across the younger man's shoulders.

"Darling," he purrs. "Who's your friend?"

The girl is visibly thrown by his appearance and she blushes.

"No one," says the boy, playing along. "In fact, I think she was just leaving…"

And she does, but it reminds Eames of fleeing more than anything. He shoots the boy a smirk, curious.

"You just traded one stranger for another. At least I promise to avoid boring you with drivel."

The boy laughs, shaking the older man's arm. It's a nice sound, almost completely drowned out by the racket spewing from the club's stereos.

"I prefer your accent over hers."

This causes Eames's grin to broaden. "Oh? So what's your name?"

The boy sighs. He raises a hand to touch the arm lying across his shoulders, but makes to move to remove it.

"What's in a name?" He leans in, his lips coming so very close to Eames's. "Why don't you just call me Darling?"

Eames like it, and tells him so.

"So what does that make me?"

"How about Alfie?" Darling asks playfully. "Or we could always go with Sherlock."

He scoffs, but is amused all the same. "Arthur? James? Edward? All good English names."

"No, too boring."

"Hey," he says, pretending to be offended. "For all you know one of those could be my real name."

"Mr. Sensitive," Darling murmurs, placing his hands on the forger's chest, his body unbelievable close. "Hm, Mister…I like that."

Their crotches grind together, and Eames moans. "Call me whatever you like, Darling."

"I was already under the impression I could."

>>>

They end up back in Eames's hotel room, heading straight for the bedroom as they strip each other. Eames considers using Darling's belt for naughty ideas before discarding it, but is sure to put it where he can easily find it again.

Darling is surprisingly tattoo free, unlike him, and Eames finds himself liking it. The younger man is a blank canvas, impressionable. He's probably some college student who enjoys spending his free time picking up strangers for sex.

"Do this often?" he asks between kisses.

"I like to think so. No more talking."

Eames is happy to comply. He grabs a bottle of lube and a condom from his nightstand. Darling smirks, an expression that seems to make him a thousand times sexier, especially with the make-up.

"You do this often?"

"I thought no more talking."

Darling moans when one slick finger enters him, and begs for more, more of Eames and now. And Eames would love nothing more than to skip preparation and just dive in, but experience has taught him better. Darling, it seems, is used to having it rough. Soon Eames is in him, enjoying the tightness, and they're moving as one. Strangers or not, he's never felt this connected to anybody, and when they eventually come together it's too soon.

They do it two more times before finally collapsing satisfied into each other's arms. Eames's cock is still in him when they fall asleep, but Darling doesn't seem to mind that or the mess. For the first time in a long time, Eames truly feels content.

>>>

He wakes up alone the next morning, the other side of the bed already cold. Eames knows this shouldn't bother him, but it does. He had wanted to see what Darling looked like in the light of day, dark make-up and all.

When he sits up and turns on the lamp he finds something on the nightstand. It's one of Darling's earrings, a beautiful poker chip, golden with inky-black Japanese symbols on the border and a crimson dragon in the middle that's holding its tail in its mouth – the Ouroboros.

Eames smiles, and after he gets dressed, he slips the chip into his pocket.


	2. Part Two

When Dom Cobb asks Eames to join him and his wife on a job, he's flattered. The Cobbs are legends and considered the best in the business. This is a chance for Eames to put his forgery skills to the test. He gave up corporate espionage years ago, tired of the pettiness and especially fed up with the poor pay. Now that he is a criminal, Eames finds himself with more money than he could possibly shake a stick at, which makes him pleased as punch.

"Who's the point man?"

They are sitting in a café in Rome. While Eames would have preferred sitting outside Cobb chose their table, which is indoors. Eames likes the Mediterranean sun and weather, so very different from his native England which he abandoned long ago.

"Arthur. He's only a few years younger than you but he's probably the best point man I've ever had."

Eames smirks at him. "Trained him himself, did you?"

Laughing, Cobb asks, "Am I that obvious?"

"Afraid so."

Cobb glances up towards the door and smiles. "Here he is now. Arthur, I'd like you to meet Mr. Eames. Eames, this is Arthur."

Eames turns in his seat, only to find words lodged in his mouth as he stares at Cobb's point man in surprise. Thankfully the other man appears to be just as shocked. Arthur is the first one to recover.

"Hello, Mr. Eames."

"Darling," he drawls. "You can just call me Mister."

Cobb, completely confused, looks from one man to the other. Then his phone rings, distracting him.

"Sorry, it's Mal. I've got to take this. Play nice, okay?"

He goes outside to talk, leaving them alone. There is a moment of uncomfortable silence as Arthur continues to stand and Eames waits for him to sit down.

"Take a seat, darling."

"Don't call me that," Arthur says, complying anyway.

"You're the one who picked it. What would you prefer, pet?"

Arthur doesn't say anything and Eames gives him a smug look, knowing he has won this round.

"Darling," he continues. "If we're going to work together, we must learn to get along…or at least tolerate each other."

"Agreed," Arthur says, somewhat reluctant.

Eames grins lazily at him. "Brilliant."

When Cobb comes back, both of them are still alive and whole. While working with the Cobbs and Arthur, Eames learns about totems, and says he already has one when Cobb recommends he acquire one. The earring that Arthur had left him so long ago is now either worn on a chain around Eames's neck or kept in his pocket. Eames does his best to keep it in perfect condition and close at all times.

Arthur says nothing in regards to their one-night-stand, and Eames doesn't bring it up. He does, however, take pleasure in flirting with the point man and uses 'darling' as often as possible. Surprisingly the younger man is very tolerant, just rolls his eyes and calls him 'Mr. Eames' in return. Eames likes to think that they're flirting, albeit subtly, which he doesn't mind. He knows that one day Arthur will get tired of being a lonely stick in the mud and will finally concede to him. Until then, Eames will wait; wait because he has all the time in the world.


End file.
